by DJ Bryce
“Yes, please,” she said, then added, “I don’t think you’ll have any issues. Sloane’s a great kid. Sweet, kind, easy going. And she really loves her daddy. She’ll want him to be happy.”
I started my own coffee then turned and leaned against the island.
“You watch her sometimes, right?” She nodded. “Do you have any tips for me? Is there something she likes to do, or make, that could help us break the ice?”
Shonda was silent for a moment, like she was really thinking about my question, which I appreciated.
“She likes cookies. Chocolate chip is her favorite. She loves to play with her dolls… Oh, she also likes to be read to before bed.”
I nodded, thinking this was information I could work with.
“Thanks,” I said, then went to the pantry and grabbed a bag of chocolate chips. I held them up and said, “Score,” when I joined Shonda back at the island.
She smiled shyly.
I cut into the banana bread, which was still warm, and lathered two slices with butter, then grabbed my coffee and sat next to Shonda.
“Oh my God,” I moaned after my first bite. “This is so good.”
“Thank you,” Shonda said sweetly, obviously pleased by my reaction.
“We should be best friends,” I told her as I took another bite.
She looked surprised for a minute, then her face cleared and she said, “I’d like that.”
“Then it’s done,” I replied with a grin.
We enjoyed the rest of our bread, and although I wanted another slice, I controlled myself, instead shifting toward Shonda on my stool and looking at her curiously.
“So, since we’re besties… do you want to tell me about Gray?” I asked gently, hoping my question wouldn’t scare her off.
Her eyes widened and she asked, “Gray? What about him.”
I gave a half shrug and replied, “I noticed yesterday that there seemed to be something when you asked about him. Did you use to date or something?”
At first, I didn’t think she was going to answer me, but then her shoulders sagged and Shonda whispered, “No. I never got up the nerve to tell him how I felt. Then, he was gone.”
“So, you’ve liked him for a long time, huh? Have you dated other guys since he left?”
She shook her head.
“No. I mean, I thought about it, but when push comes to shove, Grayson is the only man I want. Unfortunately, he just wants to be alone. He never comes here, and no one but Bane and Sloane ever go out to see him. Well, Sarah did… sorry,” she winced and looked apologetic at the mention of Bane’s mate.
“That’s okay,” I assured her. “I know Bane loved Sarah, she was his mate and Sloane’s mother. I don’t mind talking about it. But, about Gray… have you ever tried to go see him?”
“No. The last person who tried got shot at for stepping onto his land. He really, really doesn’t want to be bothered.”
“But, I’m sure if you went he wouldn’t shoot at you… if you just explained…”
Shonda’s eyes looked sad when she said, “I don’t think so, but it’s sweet of you to be concerned. I’m okay. I’m used to the way things are…”
I could tell by her tone and expression that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, but I vowed if I ever met Bane’s brother, I’d put out feelers to see how he felt about living alone. And about Shonda.
Bane
“So, it’s going well, then?” My brother asked me as I loaded Sloane’s things into the Jeep.
She was around back saying goodbye to the goats, chickens, and any cows within shouting distance, so we had a few moments of privacy.
“Better than I ever imagined it would,” I admitted. “When Mal first told me about the app, I thought he and Kai were nuts. How the hell are you supposed to meet your mate online? Mates are fate… it’s all about chemistry, and the rightness you feel when you meet. But, after seeing them with Victoria, how much they all really clicked, I thought I’d give it a shot. Still, I didn’t really believe… not for me… not after Sarah.”
“But it did work,” Gray surmised.
I nodded.
“Yeah. We clicked. There’s a definite chemistry there.” When Gray still looked skeptical, I said, “Believe me, I didn’t think it could happen either, but I think she’ll be a great addition to our lives.”
“And, will you be true mates?” Grayson asked, his dark eyes searching my face. “Will you claim her, have children with her, be committed… love her?”
“Katja and I have been one hundred-percent honest with each other. We’ve agreed that although we’ll be exclusive, and yes, I will claim her as my mate, this is not a love match. I already had Sarah, and there’s no replacing her in my heart,” I explained passionately, then added, “We haven’t discussed having more children yet, but if she’s open to it, I’d like to. Let’s get through this meeting with Sloane first, then we can see what happens.”
Gray stepped closer to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke softly, “No one is ever going to replace Sarah in your heart, but there’s no saying there isn’t room for Katja, or someone, in there, too. Don’t settle, brother, you deserve to have it all.”
I heard his words, I did, but I couldn’t let myself go there.
Instead, I turned them around on him. “And what about you, brother? Don’t you deserve to have it all?”
Gray’s eyes’ shuttered and his hand dropped.
He stepped back and put his hands in his pockets and Sloane came running toward us, Gray’s golden retriever hot on her heels.
“Daddy, the goats said bye bye,” she called out as she ran straight into my legs.
I braced myself and smiled, but my eyes remained on my brother.
“A lot of people were asking about you yesterday,” I told him. Wishing he’d open up to me. “Nathan, Shonda… Arch.”
At Arch’s name Grayson sneered.
“He said he was thinking of coming for a visit,” I warned him.
“If he does he’ll be leaving with an ass full of buckshot, or worse,” Gray muttered.
I knew he was talking about what could happen if he and Arch got into it in wolf form. Gray’s wolf was a formidable beast, and part of the reason he stayed away was because he wanted to keep his wolf isolated from others.
For their protection.
“Uncle Gray said a bad word,” Sloane said in a not so quiet hushed tone.
“Sorry, princess,” Grayson said absently.
“We gotta head out,” I told my brother as I lifted Sloane into my arms. “Thanks again for watching her. If all goes as planned, we’ll be coming back soon so you can meet Katja.”
“Who’s Kat-ya?” Sloane asked.
“I’ll tell you in the car, baby,” I replied, then clapped my brother on the shoulder and moved to put her in her seat.
Once she was loaded up, I said one last farewell to Gray and off we went. Grayson watched us until we were no longer visible, then I assumed he went back to doing whatever in the hell it was he did all day.
We weren’t on the road five minutes before Sloane asked, “Who’s Kat-ya, Daddy?”
I looked in the review mirror to see my daughter’s eyes on me; she was fiddling with the hair of the doll that was on her lap.
“Katja is a woman who is currently staying at our house. She’s waiting to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because I think it’s time we had a mommy at home for you.”
I hoped I was saying the right thing. Obviously, this was unchartered water, and I wanted to be honest with Sloane, without overwhelming her.
“But, she’s not my mommy,” Sloane replied. “My mommy’s in heaven.”
“Yes, your mommy is in heaven, and no, Katja isn’t your real mom. She could never take her place, but she could love you and be there for you as you grow up. She’d be your step-mom.”
“Like Sylvie has?” she asked.
One of her friends from school, Sylvie, had a step
-mom, and a step-dad.
“Yes, just like that.”
“Oh,” Sloane said, her gaze going out the window as she pondered this new information. “Is she nice?”
“Yes, she’s very nice.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Yes, she’s very pretty.”
“Does she like to play with toys?”
“Yes, she used to be a nanny for a little boy, and she likes to play, read books, and even go hiking and camping like we do.”
“Okay,” she said simply.
We were quiet for a few minutes, then she piped up again.
“Daddy, can we have pizza for dinner?” Sloane asked, and I knew we were done talking about Katja.
Sloane had all the information she needed.
Katja
I heard the Jeep pull up, mostly because I was waiting by the front door, and fought the urge to run and hide.
It was a childish reaction, but one I had all the same.
Instead, I opened the door and stepped outside with a friendly smile on my face. Bane was out of the Jeep and pulling his daughter from the backseat. My heart clenched at the first glimpse of dark pigtails.
She was clutching a baby doll to her chest, eyes on me as he lowered her to the ground. Once her feet hit dirt, she was running.
“Hi, Kat-ya. Daddy said you’re nice and pretty and you’ll play dollies with me,” she cried as she came toward me as fast as her legs would allow.
I came down the steps to meet her and crouched down so I was eye level.
“That’s nice of your daddy,” I said, grinning at Bane over Sloane’s head. “And, yes, I’d love to play with you.”
“We’re having pizza for dinner,” she added, stopping in front of me.
“Oh, yum, I love pizza,” I said, taking in her big eyes and features that reminded me of Bane. She was precious. “I made cookies, too. If you’re dad says it’s okay, maybe you can have one while we wait for the pizza.”
“What kind of cookies?” Sloane asked, cocking her head to the side, her face serious.
“Chocolate chip.”
“Ohhhhh, Daddy,” she yelled.
“Right behind you, Sloane. No need to yell.”
She turned to look at her father, who was loaded down with bags and blankets and asked, “Can I have a cookie? Kay-ya made my favorite… chocolate chip.”
“How about we go inside, get all of your stuff put away, and then you can have one. Deal?”
Her little shoulders dropped a bit, but she replied, “Deal.”
“Do you need help?” I asked, gesturing to his full hands.
“No, thanks, I’ve got it.”
We all went inside, me going toward the kitchen to give them a chance to get settled. After about ten minutes, Sloane came bounding in, climbed on one of the stools at the counter, and looked at me sweetly.
“Can I have milk, please?”
“Of course,” I said, putting a cookie on a plate before turning to get the milk out of the fridge.
When Bane came in, Sloane already had a milk mustache and only half a cookie left.
“Those look good,” he said, grinning at his daughter as he lowered and pretended to take a bite from her cookie.
“Daddy,” Sloane cried as she pulled her treat away. “That’s mine.”
“You won’t share?” he asked woefully.
“There’s a bunch,” she argued, pointing toward the plate of cookies.
“Okay, I guess I’ll get my own then,” Bane said, reaching for a cookie.
Before he could change his mind, Sloane shoved the rest of her cookie in her mouth.
I smiled as I watched them, my heart melting at the sight of Bane with his daughter. I already liked him a lot and knew I was in danger of falling… hard… but, seeing them together really magnified those feelings.
I bit my lip and thought, I’m in big trouble.
“How was your day?” Bane asked before taking a bite of the still warm cookie.
He had a smudge of chocolate on his lip, and when his tongue darted out to get it, I had to bite back a moan.
I cleared my throat and answered, “It was good. Thanks for having Shonda come by. I really like her a lot.”
“Shonna’s here?” Sloane asked, excited.
“Oh, no, honey, she was here earlier, but she left,” I replied.
Her little face fell.
“Don’t worry, she’s going to watch you tomorrow night,” Bane assured her.
I looked at him, curious.
“We’ve been invited to my friend Mal’s for dinner,” he said, answering my unspoken question.
“Yay,” Sloane said, her expression clearing back up. “I love Shonna.”
“Any special requests for your pizza?” Bane asked.
“Pepperoni,” Sloane cried.
“I know what you want, munchkin,” Bane said with a chuckle, ruffling her hair. “I was asking Katja.”
“Kat-ya, you like pepperoni?” Sloane asked me.
“I sure do,” I replied, then looked at Bane. “I like everything except anchovies and onions.”
“Got it,” he said, taking out his phone and walking out of the room.
I looked at Sloane, who was done with her milk and cookie.
“Do you want to go play in your room?” I asked her.
“With you?”
“Yes.”
She crawled off the stool with a speed that had me chuckling, then rounded the island and grabbed my hand.
Sloane led me to her room, chattering the whole time about her toys, bed, room, and favorite things. When we walked inside, she let my hand go to start pointing things out.
“This is where my dollies sleep, we have to brush their hair when they wake up… here’s my bestest stuffed bear, and my blankie. In here are my books, we read them at bedtime… this is where I like to sit to color sometimes… do you want to color?”
“Yes, I love to color,” I said, as I sat on the floor next to her little table.
Sloane grabbed a coloring book and placed it in front of me, then pushed the box of crayons across the table.
“Color,” she demanded, so I opened the book, picked out a blue crayon and began to color.
Bane
Last night and this morning were perfect.
I got a glimpse of what life could be like, and I wanted to take it. To keep it. To hold on and never let it go.
Katja had taken to Sloane, and Sloane lit up around her like a Christmas tree. We enjoyed pizza and a movie together, then read Sloane a book and put her to bed. Afterwards, Katja and I went outside and enjoyed a drink on the deck.
This morning, Sloane had helped Katja make pancakes, and we enjoyed a picnic lunch outside.
We’d played hide and seek, took Katja for a walk around the property, and had rounded out the afternoon with a board game.
Of course, I realized that every day of our lives wouldn’t be so carefree and easy. There would be bad days, disagreements, differing moods, but that didn’t worry me. As long as the core of my family was tight, good, loving… we’d get through the rest.
That was just life.
By the time Shonda came over to watch Sloane, and we headed out to Mal’s, I was happy and convinced that I’d made the right choice with Katja. And, that at the end of this trial, she would stay on to become my mate and Sloane’s mother.
I drove with a smile on my face and a lightness in my soul that I hadn’t felt in at least five years.
“Bane?” Katja called, breaking me out of my happy trance.
“Yeah?” I asked, glancing at her briefly, before turning my attention back to the road.
“I was wondering, if and when we finish the trial and go through with the claiming ceremony, what exactly is my role?” she asked, shifting toward me in her seat. “We haven’t really talked about whether or not I will get a job or be a stay at home mom. We also never discussed children. Do you want more? Or are you done having kids?”
“Great que
stions,” I said, ‘cause they were and I was really happy that she was asking them because that meant we were on the same page so far. We were both seeing the trial as a success and wanting to move forward. “And something I definitely think we can discuss. As for your first question, Sloane will be going to school full time in the fall, so if you want to work, I think that would be a great time to start. You could take the summer to really get to know her and we could find our rhythm. But, if you don’t want to work, I’m okay with that too. I’m not a rich man by any means, but I do okay. The house is paid for, as is my Jeep, and I have some savings for the future. As long as it’s not an extravagant life you’re looking for, we’d be fine. What were you thinking?”
“I’ve always worked, but that no longer has to mean being gone for all hours of the day. There are a few possible jobs that would allow me to work from home that I’m interested in learning more about. I think taking the summer sounds like a good idea, and if I do end up working from home, I’d be there before and after school for Sloane.”
“Sounds great.”
“And… more kids?”
I glanced at her again and saw her watching me expectantly.
“I’d like to have more kids, but only if you do. If you don’t, I’m happy with just having Sloane,” I replied, truthfully.
“I’d like to have kids,” Katja said softly.
I reached my hand across the seats and laid it on hers.
“Okay.”
She shot me a beautiful smile and squeezed my hand.
“Okay,” she repeated.
When we got to Mal’s cabin I was feeling better than ever. I took Katja’s hand and walked her to their door.
“Oh, shoot, did I mention they’re a threesome?” I asked.
“What?” Katja asked, just as the door opened.
Oops.
“Bane,” Victoria greeted with a smile. “I’m so happy you guys could make it. You must be Katja.”
Victoria embraced a still shell-shocked Katja then moved to give me a kiss on the cheek.
I had to lower myself so she could do so, and I returned the gesture.
“Thanks for having us,” I said.